Stockton health chiefs visited school after they served ‘raw’ chicken
The pupil believed the burger was ‘raw and undercooked’ (Pictures: BPM Media)
A school has defended serving a ‘disgusting’ chicken burger, saying it looked pink as the meat was ‘close to the bone’.
Environmental Health officers visited St Michael’s Catholic Academy in Billingham, Stockton, after a parent reported the school for serving an ‘undercooked’ burger.
The unnamed pupil described the burger as ‘raw and undercooked’, saying the meat was ‘pink’ inside and calling it ‘absolutely disgusting’ on social media.
However, Stockton Council bosses said they were happy with the way the school prepared food and agreed the meat was pink due to being nearer the bone.
The youngster said her friend’s burger appeared to be even worse, and claimed it was not the first time she had been given pink chicken meat.
Speaking to Teesside Live, the girl’s mum said: ‘A similar thing happened last year and we reported it. We have reported it to Environmental Health again.’
The school confirmed that the chicken undergoes testing before it is served to children, making it safe to eat.
St Michael’s Catholic Academy said: ‘The school prides itself on the quality of the food served to the children and so has been using full chicken breasts rather than reconstituted. They are fried off by our chefs before being oven baked.
The school claimed the chicken was pink as the meat was ‘closer to the bone’ (Picture: BPM Media)
Health bosses from Stockton Council said they were happy with the way the school prepared food (Picture: BPM Media)
‘The cooked chicken then undergoes three tests – with a temperature probe, randomly selected pieces of chicken are cut open for inspection and the fibers shredded to check their consistency.
‘The pink coloring is because the meat on the breast was nearer the bone, in the same way chicken thighs are off-white.
‘The school’s ovens, probes and freezers are calibrated and checked regularly and meticulous records kept. The Environmental Health Officer attended and reviewed all food safety practices, documentation and calibrated all probes on site.’
More: trending
They have now confirmed they will no longer use full chicken breasts to avoid future confusion.
The school said: ‘The Environmental Health Officer was happy that the catering manager and team were fully compliant in food safety.
‘Even though we are pleased the Environmental Health Officer supports our kitchen practices, we understand some students feel uncomfortable and so we will be using mini fillets rather than full chicken breasts in the future to allay any possible concerns.’
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at [email protected].
For more stories like this, check our news page.